It's for the kids!

Kelsey Corrigan, MS1

Hello! My name is Kelsey, a first year medical student here at Duke, and I am one of the students in charge of Duke Med Elementary. Duke Med Elementary (DME) is a student-run organization in the medical school that teaches Durham elementary school students about the cardiovascular system and the gastrointestinal system through science-based educational programs. The ultimate mission of DME is to reduce childhood obesity in Durham by connecting science to exercise and nutrition, and of course to have fun while doing it!

In the fall, third grade students come to the medical school to learn about the heart. The session begins with a free Subway lunch and a lecture from two first-year medical student volunteers. The lecture teaches the kids about the anatomical parts of the cardiovascular system as well as about how the heart pumps blood throughout the body. After learning about the heart, 20 medical student volunteers assist in taking the kids through their own dissection of a pig heart! As you may be able to guess, touching a real heart is the kids’ favorite part (as well as the grossest).

The hour-long sessions are always a blast for both the kids and the medical students. We have had kids tell us that the hearts are “epic” and that we “smell like medicine”. We also came across an ambitious student who said “I am still hungry, can I eat the heart for the rest of my lunch?” (we gave him the rest of his sandwich instead). We even had superman stop by once to teach the kids about the heart! Overall, it is absolutely heart-warming to observe nine year-olds and twenty year-olds interact and teach each other.

In the spring, third grade students will come to the medical school to learn about digestion. These sessions will include a lecture as well as an obstacle course through the GI tract. I can’t wait to see the look on the kids’ faces when they realize that at the end of the GI tract course, they become poop!

In the midst of all the hard work and commitment of medical school, Duke Med Elementary has fostered a time for medical students to relax, have fun, and become involved with the Durham community. DME expands beyond the classroom by teaching children the importance of science in everyday life and showing activities that kids can do to increase their health. At the end of the day, the kids always leave with a huge smile on their face, and frankly, so do the medical students.